(ym-8-04) Shinanai Paranoia
by Yemi Hikari
Summary: Nightmares can reveal truths, but sometimes they can lead to personal paranoia. Ichimaru Gin choose to hide from Soul Society in the world of the living but the nightmares finally get to him, causing him to react to his own personal paranoia.
1. The Nightmare

_Disclaimer – I don't own Bleach. This is the second fic for YamiHigushi's prompt list. This one is for the Would You Rather prompt list, this one being "the power to see when you'll die, or how?" While this is AU to the 1000 Year War arc it does use chapter 551 for reference._

**Shinanai Paranoia  
****_The Nightmare_**

A soft rain pelted on the apartment window while the tea kettle sat on the stove heating up. A man sat on the couch watching as the lightning flashed outside of the window, catching his silver hair in the flash of light. The muscles on his arms were revealed as were his bony shoulder blades due to wearing a tank. His legs were crossed in front of him, waiting for the tea to be ready.

The whistle blew and he stood up. Off came the kettle and soon a cup was steaming with hot tea. Setting the kettle on the counter he grabbed the cup of tea and sat back down, sipping at it until his body relaxed. He then leaned back, pinching the bridge of his nose trying not to think of what was going on. Taking a deep breath he tried not to think about anything in particular.

Eventually he dozed off and began dreaming. His body twitched as the nightmare came to greet him, then his body twitched again before he snapped awake, his breath coming in a ragged manner. A boney hand reached up to touch his face, hiding one pale teal eye while his straight, silver hair dropped over the other eye as he leaned forward. His teeth gritted together. "Shiro-chan."

"_You know that the kid and Rangiku are fine. You left so that you wouldn't cause them anymore pain._"

"Yes... but I have to wonder if that was the right thing to do. I can't help but think that he may move faster then I expected. I mean... things didn't go down with Aizen like I expected them too."

"_Don't get involved until you need too._"

Gin closed his eyes and covered it with one bony arm. He couldn't shake the image of a certain child lying on the ground, the boy's chin covered in his own blood that he coughed up. "_No... I can't do nothing._"

Sitting up his boney fingers tapped at the edge of the couch, his lips pushing together in frustration. His knee jerked in an uncontrolled manner before he reached for a small box that sat on the coffee table. "_You really shouldn't... those things are bad for you._"

"_How else am I supposed to calm my nerves? If I don't I'll go rushing off to try and..._"

"_You know very well that they are both safe._"

The silver haired man picked up an even smaller box as his fingers fumbled with the other box, popping a cigarette out. He took the other device and flipped open the top and with a few clicks the cigarette was lit. He then took a deep breath of the nicotine before breathing it out of his nose. For a small period of time his mind relaxed. Now though he couldn't sleep.

The man got up then and headed into one of the three doors, coming back with a sketchpad and pencils. He sat down on the couch and began to sketch away, his strokes quick and sure. He finished the sketch, his mouth moving he cigarette in his mouth up. He then removed the cigarette from his mouth and jammed it into the ash tray. "Shit."

His finger reached up to touch the picture. His zampaktuo laughed in his head. "_You can't get that out of your head, can you?_"

The man tossed the drawing pad across the room. He got up then, grabbing the pack of cigarette's and the lighter. He lit up another cigarette and picked up his phone, dialing a number. The phone rang a bit. "_Who is this? It is late at night?_"

"I need time off from work starting tomorrow."

"_Ichimaru? What the... are you crazy? You're the worst employee! You know that I can't just..._"

"The other day you were complaining because I didn't take any vacation time. Plus, you complained about how diligent I was to the job. Or should I just quit? Should I remind you that I'm not doing the job because I need the money. I have enough money to last me two, three years at least if not more. Plus there's the pay check I was saving as well."

"_You're smoking while you speak to me on the phone aren't you?_"

"So? That's really none of your business. At least unlike your other employees I don't have to go and take cigarette breaks."

"_Doesn't change the fact you're addicted to those things._"

"As I said, it is none of your business. Honestly, I wish you would just but out."

"_I can't just give you time off. You're supposed to file for time off long before you can get it._"

"Look... it's a family emergency. There are some things I need to take care of, things that are honestly none of your business."

His zampaktuo piped up in the back of his head. "_Well... that it's __family__ business is far from being a lie. What with your relationship with the kid as well as __them__."_

"_Shut up._"

The person on the other side of the phone let out a deep sigh. "_Fine, but you owe me an explanation once you get back."_

"No I don't."

"_Excuse me?_"

"My personal life is none of _your_ business. I honestly don't understand why you keep prying into it in the first place."

"_Because I'm your boss._"

"Yeah... I don't think so. I've always been up front with you on the things that you _need_ to know. This honestly isn't one of them. Now why don't you go off and have some fun time with your boyfriend. I honestly think you know what I mean by that."

"_What has gotten into you? You've never been nasty like this. Fine. Take the time off. I still expect an explanation when you get back. And for your information I __don't__ have a boyfriend and this time of night is bad for dates._"

"You..." The phone however hung up on him.


	2. Preparations

**Shinanai Paranoia  
****_Preparations_**

After hanging up the phone he walked over to the sketch book and brought it back to the couch and sat downs. His hands sketched out more drawings as he waited for morning. The rain on the window continued to drip down until finally the rain stopped and sunlight came through. Gin closed the sketchbook before tossing the book onto the coffee table. It barely missed the ashtray.

He stood up and walked to the door, grabbing a gray sweat jacket with a hood. He pulled up the hood and stepped out of the apartment, locking the door behind him He reached up to grab the cigarette from his mouth to stomp it under his foot. He pushed another cigarette out of the box and lit it up before heading to the stairs.

When he reached the ground level, his feet splashed into the puddles formed from the night before as he walked to his destination. He slipped into an alley way and stayed near the place, waiting to see whether or not he could see the best time to make his move. The small shop remained silent, but he knew that quite a few people were there preventing him from achieving the first goal on his list.

As he looked at the entrance he felt something long and flat tap him on the shoulder. His head jerked to see a man in a white and green striped hat. The man smiled at him and acted as if nothing was going on. "Now Gin-kun. What could you possibly doing near my store."

Gin's fingers flicked the cigarette a bit causing the ash to fall. He looked away. "Nothing?"

"Nothing? Really? You're not going to visit little old me?" Then came the change in tone. "Tessai and I are going out and Yourichi isn't going to be back from Soul Society for a couple of days. I hope that no robber breaks in and hurts the kiddos in the process of taking what ever they need. I'll be gone until midnight."

The younger of the two men stepped aside, letting the shop keeper by. "Thing is, I could have it prepared if I knew what you needed."

"It's best not to get yourself in trouble. You're doing enough as it is. They'll be asking questions."

"That's enough to tell me what you need. I can plead that I don't know ditto, but I should warn you that eventually it may come back and haunt you whatever you're doing."

"I'm already haunted by those damn dreams." Gin slipped off then, his hands in his jean pocket as he puffed at the cigarette, his fingers reaching up to briefly to play with it. He walked back to his department to prepare for that night. From under the sink he pulled out the first aide kit and from that he pulled a bottle. He then closed the kit and the cupboard and went into the bathroom and grabbed a towel from the drawer that was under the main storage area.

Until it was time to go he went and sat on the couch drawing more pictures. He finally noticed the time and got up, putting out his cigarette as he did so. Leaving the apartment he went straight the alleyway waiting for Urahara to leave with Tessai. He then moved to the door and slid it open, sensing where either kid was located. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the bottle, unscrewing the cap. He put some of the liquid onto the towel before screwing the lid back on.

He then slipped in behind Ururu and covered her mouth causing her to collapse back into his arms. He dragged her back into her room and lay her gently on her futon before continuing along. Unfortunately as he came back out of the room he bumped into a young man with red hair. "Oi... what are..."

Gin's fist made contact with the youth's chin causing Jinta's eyes to roll backwards. Glancing around the room he saw a jump rope sitting in one corner. He dragged the second assistant in Urahara's shop to the corner and proceeded to tie him up. He paused for a few seconds, thinking about whether or not he wanted to tie it extra tight. Shaking his head he instead opted for extra knots. He then stood up and moved to Urahara's storage to find what he wanted.

A dark cloak was lying out on one of the boxes, causing Gin to shake his head knowing full well the man had left it out on purpose. He gingerly picked up the cloak before going back to a particular section to grab the other thing he wanted. Wrapping it in the cloak he lifted it up into his arms and proceeded to leave.

Arriving at his apartment he found himself fumbling with the keys before finally getting the key he wanted. Unlocking the door he walked in, glancing around to see if anyone had seen him. He then slammed the door shut using his foot. He unwrapped the 'item' and stuck it under his bed. Finger the cloak he looked up at the ceiling. "Part one of the plan down, part two to go."

"_You're crazy._"

"_A lot of people would say that I was crazy without much of a glance, so does it really matter._" Gin closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath wishing that things hadn't come to this. His eyes snapped open though when a knock came at the door. He recognized the very minute spiritual pressure outside of the door and cursed under his breath. He stood up and opened the door. "What do you want?"

A female was standing there, staring at him. In her hands were groceries. "I thought..."

Gin reached out with his finger and poked her in the chest. "Look. You're my boss. Nothing more."

"You said that you had a family emergency. I thought you would be having family over, or..."

"...or if you had thought things through you would have realized that I was gone to visit family or something like that."

"Neither is going on. Are you lying about..."

This time the bony finger went to poke the annoying female in the forehead. "I'm not lying. I was making travel plans today."

"_Which isn't a lie. Your travel plans just aren't normal._"

"I'll be leaving tomorrow and be gone a few days, so don't bother coming over."

"Have you eaten though?"

"_Nope. You're so focused on __that__ that you haven't been thinking of eating._"

"No." The bag of groceries was shoved towards him as the female bowed. Gin felt the corner of his mouth twitch.

"Here!"

A bony hand reluctantly took the bag and then two pale eyes watched as the female hurried off. Another bony hand reached up to touch his forehead. "I need to get a new job."

"_You don't because finding one would be as much of a pain in the ass as her._"

"_Shut up already._"


	3. Progression

**Shinanai Paranoia  
****_Progression_**

A bee flew outside of the apartment as Gin locked the door. His hand without realizing it snapped up and slapped the bee away, causing the insect to smash against the wall. The same hand reached up and took out the cigarette he had been smoking and tossed it onto the ground, grinding it into the cement. Over his other arm hung the dark cloak. He turned on his heels and headed down the stairs, his one hand in his pocket.

He slipped into an alley way and remained in the shadows until he came to the desolate location he had found. The cave was nice and cool and he for a short period closed his eyes and relaxed his body. He then swung the cloak over his shoulders, pulling his arms into the sleeves. Pulling the hood over his head he quickly latched the cloak shut. The same bony hands then opened the gate so that he could enter easily into soul society.

Upon arriving in the outer Rukongai the first step he made was to stop by a familiar vender. When no one was around he went to the side and leaned against the wall. "A bag of amanatto please."

The person in question froze at his voice. "You... you haven't come around in a long time. A year I would say, maybe more?"

Gin reached into one of his pocket and tossed it onto the counter. "You know what will happen if you tell people that I was here, right?"

There came no answer which in itself was an answer. The man at the counter pushed around the side a bag of the candy and the silver haired man moved away. He didn't however walk the normal path but instead slipped into the shadows to travel where he wanted to go. Instead of seeing people in black milling about once he got to the center he saw a bunch of people in white. Sticking to the background as well as slipping back into the other realm he managed to avoid them.

He stopped short though when he caught sight of a small female with violet hair and violet eyes. She was with a much younger child who would spout off foul things from her mouth as well as a man whose hair was turned up into a Mohawk. Another familiar face was nearby reading a book, the scar on the man's lip quite evident. Gin took a deep breath when the man looked right up at him but then stopped short when the man looked back down.

The silver haired man turned to be on his way, but stopped short when the man with the Mohawk began to manipulate fire. He felt his teeth grind. His blade went then to Shinso which materialized in thin air. "_This whole thing is a bad idea? You know I've been telling you that since last night, right?_"

"_I don't care if this is a bad idea. __That__ is the person who hurt Shiro-chan._"

"_Will hurt, it hasn't happened._"

Gin instead choose to ignore the zampaktuo and placed his hand at his side. The blade quickly shot out and pierced the man in the shoulder. Shinso then retracted before anyone could notice. Well, the man who had been reading the book noticed. The orange haired man let out a curse as his hand went up to his shoulder. "What the fuck!"

"Looks like BG7 is playing games again." The smallest female laughed.

The purple eyed female rolled her eyes. "Buzz-B's already destroyed that one. They're on BG8 now."

"That mother fucker is seriously going to pay." The man stood up from the fountain, only to have the dark haired person tilt his head in the opposite direction.

"BG8 is in that direction. I doubt they'll be happy with you trashing it." This caused the other three to storm off in the opposite direction, the two girls commenting about how they wanted to see the mess that Buzz-B person would make. After they were gone the dark haired male stood up, closing his book. He looked again towards where Gin was before using hirenkyaku to follow the others.

Gin took a deep breath, slipping back to Soul Society. "_Seriously... Cang shouldn't have sensed me._"

"_I don't think he sensed you. More like he sensed the shift between the two places. That was horribly stupid. You're really good at making plans, but when things you come to expect occur you go off the rails and make things horribly worse._"

This was followed by a period of time ignoring his zampktuo. He finally arrived in the twelfth division where Mayuri kept certain items. He moved about, his pointy finger pointing at the items as he looked for what he want. He came across the items for blocking one's reiatsu from being used and pocketed the items. He then came across the sleeping drought Mayuri made for the fourth division. He took one of the small jars and turned to leave.

His ears however picked up something and he found himself moving behind one of the shelves. Akon had come in with Rin. "It was rather nice that Hitsugaya Taicho invited Hanataro and I to eat lunch with him. I always thought he didn't want anything to do with us younger Shinigami."

"It's not that he doesn't want to have anything to do with the other young Shinigami. He's just very busy."

"Yeah, but..." There came a short period of silence and then Rin spoke up again. "Shino-san says that he honestly doesn't like us and that's why he doesn't speak to any of us."

"_You_ have problems speaking with her."

"It's not because I have a crush on her like Ryu does. Why he does I haven't a clue as she's completely scary."

"Yeah... and you _expect_ Hitsugaya Taicho to be able to speak with her?"

"Well... he is a captain. I don't see him being scared of anything."

"Well, even if he isn't scared of her do you really expect him to want to hold a conversation with her with her rude behavior?"

"I guess not."

"No, because..." Akon came around the corner, stopping short upon realizing that someone what there. Taking a deep breath he spoke to the child Shinigami while Gin cursed under his breath. "Rin, why don't you check the other side for what we're looking for."

"Sure."

The man then stepped over to the shelf, his hand reaching for exactly what he wanted instantly. "I'm going to pretend to not see you. Honestly don't know who you are, but since you're wearing a cloak created by that man I'm assuming your intentions for coming in here aren't ill willed. Akon then turned and headed to the door. "Found what we're looking for Rin. Let's get back before the taicho gets too upset."


	4. The Quiet

**Shinanai Paranoia  
****_The Quiet_**

The small taicho of the tenth division walked towards the division offices, a stack of papers flopped lightly over his arm. Toshiro worried at his lip despite the fact he felt really positive about himself for once. Just the other day he had managed to ask Yamada Hanataro and Tsubokura Rin for lunch. When the idea had first crossed his mind he felt it was childish and just him being desperate for friendship. Then he realized that it was a very adult thing to do.

By that he realized that adults always invited business colleagues to have a formal lunch, which was something he figured he could feasibly do. Inviting another captain though felt strange as there was an age gap, so inviting someone his age shouldn't be a bad thing. On top of this some of the captains had formed friendships with his colleagues so forming friendships between colleagues also wasn't out of the question.

The idea of trying to go out of his way to make friends also didn't seem as scary now that he had made friends with Ichigo. He was already close to Hanataro, possibly enough to call him a friend. What little interaction he had with Rin made him believe that the other young Shinigami wouldn't be judgmental of him as it wasn't in his personality. When he arrived at the office he set the papers on his desk.

Thus he noticed the bag of candies with a note on it. His small hand reached over to pick up the bag while his other hand reached for the note. "_Here is some candy that I know you like. Just be sure not to ruin your appetite for your meals. Love, Matsumoto._"

The boy let out a deep sigh before flopping down into the desk chair. He used his fingers to open up the bag before popping one into his mouth. He closed his eyes, ready to taste the bliss. An odd taste assailed his taste buds causing him to swallow sooner. Carefully he took another piece and popped it into his mouth. His hand began to shake and his vision began to blur, which told him something was wrong.

"_I can't be getting sick._"

"_Are you sure those were from Matsumoto Rangiku?_"

"_Who else would... you mean someone's tried to poison me!_" The boy opened his mouth just as his ears picked up the sound of Hanataro and Rin approaching the division. Before he could say anything though a cloth came over his mouth, the foul smelling odor making him want to gag. Someone jerked him backwards and towards the division window. As the person pulled him out of the window his ankles clipped the windowsill painfully.

The cloth was pulled away and a bony hand placed over his mouth as he tried to fight off losing consciousness in order to prevent him from yelling. His two small hands reached up to grab the persons arm, his mind completely bewildered as to why this was going on. He then heard Hanataro's voice. "I don't get it? Hitsugaya Taicho should be here."

"You don't think he planned on standing us up?" What Rin said was the last thing Toshiro heard before he passed out.

**M**

Gin pocketed another item before heading out from research and development. When he left he slipped into the shadows and headed in the direction of the tenth division, his feet hitting the ground as he walked at a steady pace. Right outside the tenth division window he came back to the Shinigami's world and carefully peered through the window.

Neither Toshiro or Rangiku were in the office. In fact, their reiatsu was missing. Carefully he jumped over the ledge and into the room. He headed over to the desk and grabbed a scrap of paper. He then mimicked Rangiku's hand writing and attached it to the bag. He carefully opened the bag and carefully shook some of sleep remedy into the bag and then shook it up so all of the candy was coated.

He then set the bag out and slipped out of the window and waited outside keeping an eye out for anyone approaching. His zampaktuo felt the need to lecture him again. "_You know that this won't work, or if it does something will happen to make thing hard for you._"

"_It's the only thing I could think of in such a short period of time._" The man's head jerked up as he sensed the small taicho go into the office. Gin peeked around the corner when he sensed that Toshiro was near the desk before ducking back. He looked up at the sky while his fingers tightened as he hoped his plan would work. It was then that he sensed that two of the younger Shinigami were heading his way.

Looking in he found himself grinding his teeth realizing that the drugged candy wasn't working as fast as he would have liked. With one hand he pulled out the bottle he used the day before and unscrewed the cap, dipping the cloth into the liquid again. Pocketing the bottle he moved quickly over the sill and behind the boy to incapacitate the child.

Toshiro was busy looking at the candy, his head jerking slightly as he fought to stay awake. Thus he didn't notice the man moving behind him. Gin moved the cloth over the boy's mouth, watching as the child spasm before falling backwards into the man's arms. The bag of candy fell out of the boy's hand and scattered on the floor behind the desk.

Keeping one hand over the boy's mouth the silver haired man wrapped his other hand around the waist and yanked the boy away and over the windowsill. To Gin's dismay Toshiro was still awake and the child's small hands reached up to touch his arm. The man pulled away the cloth, letting it drop to his other hand so he could wrap his hand around the boy's mouth. It was then that the two young Shinigami arrived in the office.

"I don't get it? Hitsugaya Taicho should be here."

Rin's voice sounded rather hurt. "You don't think he planned on standing us up?"

It was then that Toshiro thankfully blacked out. The man began to jostle the child up into his arms so that the small child was positioned under the cloak with him. The small taicho was bigger then he remembered as well as lighter, causing the silver haired man's jaw to open. One hand carefully brushed away the hair from the boy's face. "_At least he's still small enough to fit under here._"

"_You're ignoring the fact he's also lost weight since you last saw him._"

Gin tensed then as he sensed Rangiku coming into the room. Hanataro likely turned to speak with the woman. "Matsumoto... Hitsugaya Taicho was wanting to eat lunch with us right?"

The woman paused then. "Yes... he was quite happy about it when he told me. I'm rather... surprised he isn't here. Perhaps he had an emergency he had to take care of?"

Rin's voice piped up. "Yeah... that's why he isn't here."

"Why don't you sit on the table and start into the appetizers I made."

"You seem to be quite excited about this Miss Matsumoto." The Shinigami from the twelfth suddenly became cheerful.

"Miss?" Hearing Ran's voice, particularly with a lecturing tone caused Gin to pull Toshiro to his chest.

"_She's going to be mad, but in the long run this is to keep him safe._"

It was then that Ran did something unexpected. "I'll wait to make lunch until he gets back. I'll surprise him by getting some paperwork done."

The silver haired man cursed under his breath as he felt Rangiku's reiatsu flare out meaning she had found the candy on the floor. Which meant she knew something was wrong. Unfortunately Hanataro noticed the sudden flare in the woman's reiatsu. "Matsumoto? What ever is the matter?"

As the alarms went off Gin slipped back into the shadows with the child.


	5. Turning Fates

**Shinanai Paranoia  
****_Turning Fates_**

"I invited Yamada and Tsubokura to join me for lunch in a couple of days."

Rangiku's head jolted up when she heard this coming out of her small taicho's mouth. "Why?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"No, it's just not like you to invite people over. You usually wait for people to invite you."

"Isn't it normal to have social gathering with business colleagues every so often?"

"They aren't taicho."

"No... the other taicho aren't around the same age as me. Yamada and Tsubokura are around the same age."

"Yes, but I don't think they'll appreciate finding out that this is lunch is business related. I think they would rather hear that you're inviting them over as friends."

"That's a possible bonus."

"A possible bonus? Is that what you're going to tell them?"

"Well.. we're not friends yet, but it would be nice if we could be friends. That's why it's a possible bonus."

Rangiku took a deep breath, a smile spreading across her face. She walked over to the desk and hugged her small taicho, pleased at the unexpected result. "My taicho is _so_ cute!"

"Matsumoto!"

She couldn't help but pester him about the lunch date. At first he was annoyed at her butting in, but she then started asking questions about what he would be doing for lunch. His response was that he would make instant ramen which caused her to have a horrified look on her face. "Why instant ramen?"

"Because I can make it."

"Taicho... under normal circumstances I would say that would be normal fare for your age group. However, this is your first time inviting anyone over and you're also a captain. _I'll_ fix lunch."

She watched as his face twisted up in horror. "So you can but in?"

"No! I think you'll do fine on your own. This is Hanataro and Rin so I doubt you'll have a problem speaking with them. Just... avoid business talk. That's my only advice."

"Why would we be talking business? While this is based around meeting with business colleagues the business they take care of isn't the same as what I take care of. This is about building relationships."

"Yes. So you worry about building relationships and I worry about the lunch."

"Your cooking... you aren't going to be making only sweet bean dishes are you?"

"Of course not! I'll make ramen, but _not_ instant ramen. Or maybe..." He couldn't get her to stop throwing out her ideas, but in the long run this was to his advantage as she would work on the paperwork without being pressured. The day came around and both had to step out of the room as there were duties that needed to be completed. After taking care of the duties Rangiku headed into the kitchen and prepared the snacks.

When she got back she found herself seeing Rin and Hanataro already there but not her taicho. She managed to convince Rin that her taicho honestly wasn't playing a prank on them. She didn't though like being called "miss" by Rin but could live with it as Toshiro was finally trying to make friends on his own. She walked over to the desk to try and really make the boy's day only to stop short upon seeing the candy.

Sadly Hanataro noticed something was wrong and came over. "Matsumoto? What ever is the matter?"

The woman felt her throat tighten. "Taicho wasn't here when you two got here?"

"No." The boy noticed the mess on the floor. "Hitsugaya Taicho wouldn't leave a mess unless he was in a hurry."

Rangiku bent down and picked up the piece of candy. "Taicho wouldn't spill anything on the floor like this, particularly his favorite candy."

"Hitsugaya Taicho likes candy?" Rin's head jerked up. There then came a scuffling sound as the boy came over to look at the candy that was on the floor. "How can anyone waste candy like this?"

"Believe me... taicho wouldn't waste this particular candy. It's not just his favorite candy but his favorite food... that and foods made with it."

Hanataro picked up a piece and sniffed, his nose wrinkling up. "This is covered in the sleeping agent we use in the fourth."

"That means..."

Rangiku took a deep breath. "Rin, why don't you pack up those treats I made and take them back with you to your division. The lunch date has to be postponed."

"But why... you said..." Rin stopped short.

The other small male stood up. "I'll help you pack them up. If I explain to you what is going on you can't tell others about this."

"Why... well sure. I want to know why Hitsugaya Taicho went back on his invitation.'

"He didn't." Hanataro led the other boy over and began to place the treats onto the napkin. "Let's say someone gave you candy that was laced with a sleeping agent?"

"I'd think they were a pedo..." Rin stopped short, his face paling. "But... Hitsugaya Taicho can't be kidnapped. I mean, he's a taicho."

Rangiku had a hell butterfly on her finger. "That's why they used the sleeping agent. They knew that they wouldn't be able to kidnap him like any other child. It also looks like they left a note with the candy telling him it was from me, so he would eat it without thinking anything." The woman turned to look at the boy. "You should head back to your division. And be careful."

"Yes Miss Matsumoto."

The woman let out a sigh as the two children and the hell butterfly took off. She could feel her body tense up and her eyes closed. "_Taicho... who would want to kidnap you unless they wanted to start war with Soul Society?_"

How long she stood there she didn't know, but Nanao's voice broke her away. "Rangiku... you said something is wrong with your taicho, but I don't see him."

Rangiku turned her head to look at the door to see that the fukutaicho and taicho of the eighth division were both there. Her eyes must have shown something to Kyoraku because his hat dipped down and he spoke in a careful manner. "The issue with your taicho is that he isn't here, right?"

The fukutaicho of the eighth division let out a deep sigh. "But Rangiku, he's always taking off. He's... I don't know why its your luck with men that the ones you get involved with always end up taking off randomly."

The taicho brushed by Rangiku, his pink kimono billowing out. He took in the candy on the floor. "Except this situation is different."

Nanao slipped over to where her captain was standing, her hand clasping her mouth. "Can't be..."

"Can. You know what to do Nanao-chan. Please take swift action." Kyoraku bent down for a few minutes, examining the area. He then stood up and looked around.

"Anything?"

"Nothing."

"So taicho has been gone a long time? There is no chance of us catching the person?"

"Now, I didn't say that." The man continued to look around. He moved behind the desk. "We need to find out if anyone saw the captain coming in here."

"Why? I don't..."

"It will help pinpoint when the kidnapping occurred." Kyoraku touched the edge of the chair. "From the looks of it your taicho saw the candy as soon as he got in here. He then ate said candy... who knows how much. He didn't though fall out of his chair unconscious, which means for some reason he was distracted by something that made him move out of the chair. Otherwise the chair would also be on the floor."

"So the intruder distracted him."

"No..." Kyoraku looked up at the window. "If that person was going through so much trouble to have him fall asleep they would have hidden themselves from Hitsugaya Taicho as well as their spiritual pressure. Which means while Toshiro was feeling the effects something else cause him to move from the seat."

"Hanataro and Rin were visiting. But... Kyoraku Taicho, they arrived just before me. The kidnapper couldn't have gotten far. You mean to tell me that he was hiding just outside the window?"

"Possibly..." The eighth division taicho moved to the window and swung over the ledge. He bent down to examine the ground. "It rained last night. Someone was standing here and some of their later steps while they were there are deeper, meaning they were holding onto Hitsugaya Taicho while they were here."

"Why though?" Rangiku came over to the window.

"Perhaps they didn't want to attract your attention by moving. Which means they know you and your taicho well."

"So we have to suspect the members of our own division?" The woman shook her head. "Why would any of them want to take taicho. I have good relations with all the members."

"But does Hitsugaya Taicho?"

"Taicho? What do you mean?"

"Does your small taicho have good relations with the other members? Has he taken time to get to know them?"

"Well, he knows their names and abilities. He's better at that then I am."

"That's not what I mean. Does he socialize with the division members?"

"No... he's too shy."

"Then unlike you he doesn't have a good relation with the other members."

"But..."

"It might not _be_ a division member." Kyoraku folded his arms. "My division though will be handling the search."

_Author's Note ~ I'm having problems picking out which story I would like to do for NaNoWriMo 2013 so I have a poll up that I will close when I start this years project. Pick your favorites to help me narrow it down._


	6. Chasing Dreams

**Shinanai Paranoia  
****_Chasing Dreams_**

The alarms going off made Gin's body tense as he traveled through the other world. He gripped the boy close to his chest hoping that he wouldn't wake up before he got far enough away. "_You know full well it will be awhile until he wakes up you moron. Of course now you're having to travel through __their__ world without making any jumps what so ever._"

He stopped short upon hearing movements and hoped that he wouldn't have to make a jump suddenly, particularly since he knew the Quincy were sure to follow. He paused in the alley way and watched as the purple haired girl stopped to talk to another about the stupidity of Bazz-B's and the lack of intelligent males before speeding off. "_Well, isn't that a relief for you?_"

"_Shut up_."

Finally they arrived to the place where Gin could go through the gate. He carefully set Toshiro down on one of the stone structures and popped back into his gigai. He then took the cloak and wrapped it around the child and lifted him carefully up into his arms before heading back to his apartment. His fingers fumbled a bit with the key, dropping it to the ground. Stooping down carefully he reached down to grab the key and this time managed to open it.

Closing the door behind him he locked the door and headed to his bedroom where he set Toshiro carefully onto the bed. He then got down on his hands and knees and pulled the object he had gotten from Urahara's from underneath his bed. Lifting it up he set it on the bed and then proceeded to drag Toshiro into his own gigai.

The next thing he did was to fasten the devices for blocking ones reiatsu onto the child's wrists, breathing a sigh of relief as he did so. One bony hand reached down to brush the boy's bangs away. "Welcome home Toshiro. You're safe."

He then carefully lifted the boy up and carried him out of the room to the other room that he happened to have, setting the boy down on the bed in that room. His hand reached over and grabbed a music box that was on the stand and his bony fingers twisted the key until music was playing. He swallowed before standing up and heading to the other room. "I wonder what Shiro-chan would like to eat."

"_You moron. Hadn't you better think of how he's going to react when he wakes up._"

"_I already know how he's going to react._"

"_Yes... and how will food stop things from flying at your head._"

"_It won't._" Gin could hear his zampaktuo sigh in frustration.

**M**

The smell of food caused Toshiro's mind to come back despite the fact it was still fuzzy. He opened his eyes to see himself looking up at the ceiling as a music box played near his head. "_Kurosaki's room. … No, this isn't Kurosaki's room._"

His head pounded and a small hand reached up to touch his forehead. "_What happened again?_" For some reason Hyorinmaru remained silent. "_The last thing I remember I was waiting for those two to show up so we could have lunch together and I found the..._" His mind paused. "_Someone drugged me. I've got to get out of here._"

The boy twisted over onto his side, only to find his stomach suddenly lurching as he couldn't keep the contents of his stomach down. Taking deep breaths he found himself recovering from the sudden movement. He then carefully lifted himself up so that he could make his escape and took in the room, only to have his eyes widen.

The room was put together for a child his physical age and yet none of the things remotely perked his interest. There wasn't much, but it was enough to tell him that someone had planned on this room being for a young boy. Closing his eyes he let out a sigh and stood up, realizing as he did that he had managed to step in his own vomit.

Ignoring this fact he wobbled over to the door, the smell of food enticing him. The vomit of course was tracked across the carpeted floor. Arriving at the door he found himself steadying himself as he stared at the familiar figure who was in the kitchen. "_It can't be._"

"_Who? Ichimaru Gin? I believe it is him._"

"_Now you speak up?_" The boy let out a deep sigh catching the attention of the man.

He turned to look at him, the words coming out of his mouth rather surprising. "I'm surprised you're not throwing things at me."

"_Of course not._" The words then came out of his mouth without holding back. "I threw up."

It was Gin's turn to stare at him.

**M**

Dinner was almost ready when Gin felt Toshiro's spiritual pressure begin to shift. "_Here it comes. Expect stuff to be flying at your head._"

Instead he heard a loud sigh and he turned to see the boy looking at him with a rather groggy look on his face. "I'm surprised you're not throwing things at me."

"I threw up."

Gin paused in what he was doing and stared at the boy as the child wobbled on his legs. "You threw up? That's... honestly the last thing I expected."

"_Really? Last time I checked you used a sleeping agent on him as well as a form of knock out gas. Of course he isn't going to feel well._"

The silver haired man moved forward while the boy looked at him. The normally bright eyes were glazed over and had a look of disgust. He narrowed his eyes in disgust. The man reached out and lifted the boy up under the arms so that Toshiro was looking him straight in the eye. The boy frowned at him. "What are you doing?"

"Putting you back into bed." The man's pale eyes narrowed at the boy before glancing down to see the floor. The child remained silent as he stepped around and sat the boy on the edge of the bed. "I'll bring you lunch when it's ready."

The man went to the door and headed first to the kitchen to turn down the food so it wouldn't burn before going to the bathroom. He returned to clean up the mess in the room, thankful that it wasn't that bad. When he turned to leave again the boy spoke. "When I stop feeling like my head's in the fog I am going to gut you Ichimaru."

The silver haired man paused. "That so isn't cute Shiro-chan."

"It's Hitsugaya and it's not meant to be cute."

"_I think it's cute. He's really turned into a mini version of you, hasn't he?_"

"_Shut up._"

_Author's note – Still looking for what I should do for NaNoWriMo this year. See poll on profile. Thanks! :D_


	7. Falling Dreams

**Shinanai Paranoia  
****_Falling Dreams_**

"I threw up." Toshiro watched as the man stared at him. "_He's supposed to be dead. Why is he cooking? Actually, why did he shinigami nap me?_"

"_Why are you avoiding the word kidnap?_"

"You threw up? That's honestly the last thing I expected." Two pale eyes looked right at him, causing the boy to feel strange.

"_Something's wrong. And exactly what was he expecting? Again... why did he bring me here._" Toshiro watched as Gin set the utensil he was cooking with down and then watched as the man walked over to him. "_He's likely got some sick reason for keeping me here._"

To his surprise the man lifted him up much like his former taicho once did, causing a frown to come across his face. "_You're not taicho. Don't do that._" The boy opened his mouth then to respond to the action "What are you doing?"

"Putting you back into bed."

"_I'm not a little kid Ichimaru._"

"_Do you really think a man who went out of his way to personally kidnap you actually sees you as 'not a little kid'?"_

Toshiro's eyes drifted down as he saw the man look down. "_He's acting weird. He's taking this all to well. I hate him._"

The child felt himself set down on the bed and heard the man say something that stung deeply. "I'll bring you lunch when it's ready."

The boy's eyes widened. "_I'm __supposed__ to be eating lunch with them! I __really__ hate him. I wanted... I was really looking forward to that. I almost __never__ look forward to __anything__! This isn't fare!_" He watched as the man left and came back. He felt the corner of his mouth twitch as he watched Gin clean up as if this wasn't something out of the norm. "_Seriously... I what the hell is up with him!_"

The boy took a deep breath as he left, his ire getting the better of him. "When I stop feeling like me head's in the fog I am going to gut you Ichimaru." He watched as the man paused, turning to him with a rather shocked look. "_He's shocked? Ichimaru of all people is __shocked__?"_

"_Well..._" Hyorinmaru stopped the thought rather quickly.

"That so isn't cute Shiro-chan."

"_That is creepy!_" Toshiro felt his eye's narrow. "It wasn't supposed to be cute."

"_No... it isn't cute. I was going to say that comment is something I would expect from that man and not you._"

"_What? Are you going to say that we switched personalities? Because that is so not my personality either. What does..._" The boy's eyes snapped shut as his hurting head got the better of him. He lay back onto the bed. It was nice and soft, but that wasn't the only thing he felt. His eyes snapped open as he lifted his wrists up so he could see the bands. _"Reiatsu restraints! You mean I can't use my abilities?_"

"_Afraid so. So much for gutting him._"

The boy closed his eyes. After a bit of time a clicking sound was heard as something was heard on the stand. "Your food is ready."

"I don't want to eat."

"I know you just threw up, but..."

"I'm pissed off with you, so just go away!"

"I'll leave it for you then and come back and check on you." Toshiro thought the man would simply leave, but his ears picked up the sound of a music box key being turned and then the soft music came to his ear. Opening his eye he watched as the man retreated just as his stomach growled. The boy's eyes narrowed. "Fuck!"

A small hand touched his stomach just as another rumbling came. His small hands moved to the side and lifted himself up. He carefully shifted the trey onto his lap, the hands resting then on either side. Hyorinmaru made an attempt to cheer him up. "_At least you know Ichimaru is a good cook, while with Matsumoto it is haphazard._"

"_That actually makes things worse. I know I'm going to enjoy the food, but what I really wanted to enjoy was being able to speak and interact with people my age. It almost as if he is trying to bribe me. And when I think of the idea that he is bribing me... well, I don't like the thoughts that come to mind. I mean, it's the only reason I can think of that he would want to kidnap me._"

"_Don't let your mind go there! He's not..._"

Toshiro heard the dragon pause, his eyes closing. "_He's not and yet you stopped. Other things like politics and getting back at Matsumoto come to mind, but this keeps..._"

"_Don't think about it. Just eat._"

"_I don't trust him. He could have put more sleep medicine in the food. Then there is no telling what he'll do once I'm asleep._" The boy continued to stare at the food until he found himself startling as he felt Ichimaru's spiritual pressure.

"I thought you said you weren't going to eat Shiro-chan?"

The boy's stomach grumbled in response, but so did his mouth. "It's Hitsugaya!"

"Yeah... I'm supposed to call you by your last name despite the fact I know you as well as I do?" The man folded his arms across his chest as Toshiro's eyes widened. "I do know you quite well you know despite the fact you think otherwise." The boy felt his Adam's apple bob down. The man noticed and moved away from leaning on the door frame. "You wouldn't happen to think I've poisoned it or something?"

"_Something like that. How about you just go away? How about you just let me wake up from this nightmare?_"

The boy flinched as the man gingerly came and sat by him. Gin lifted up the spoon and took a bite of each of the dishes. "See? Not poisoned. Now just eat."

"_You ate off the utensils you moron!_"

A bony finger reached up and touched him on the forehead. "I'm not going to replace the utensils 'cause that can be poisoned as well. Just eat, or do I need to force feed ya?" The man stood up, his hands going into his pocket. "Seriously though Shiro-chan, if you don't eat I will have to force you."

"Fine."


End file.
